The Beginning of Divine Intervention
by xakemii
Summary: Ever since Javier stopped talking to him, Kevin hasn't been the same. Jenny just doesn't understand. As far as she can tell, Kevin did the right thing and Javier's acting like a child because his pride got hurt.


Although she prefers not to hear all of the gory details about Kevin's work, Jenny makes a very special effort to listen to Kevin as he goes on and on about work, so she's aware of the current Javier-and-Kate-suspended-because-Kevin-snitched situation.

She assumes that's why, for the first time in forever, Kevin's home from work on time. And even though she's near one hundred percent sure, it's a little rude to just assume, so she goes ahead and asks just in case.

"You're home early." It's not said as a question, but she knows that Kevin will read it as one.

He collapses on the couch. "I guess it's the first time I haven't had any plans after work."

"Well..." she starts as she perches on the arm of the couch. "You don't have to sound so disappointed at the prospect of spending more time with your wife."

At the joking lilt of her tone, he laughs, but she isn't fooled. She knows that even though he's laughing and reaching out to hold her hand like there's nowhere else he'd rather be, he's really thinking about how last week at this exact time, he was with Javier and Castle and how badly he wishes he could be doing the same thing now.

Squeezing his hand gently, she asks, "Javier's still hasn't called you, has he?"

He sighs. "No."

She doesn't say anything in reply; there's nothing _to_ say. She knows that there's nothing that she can say that would make him feel better.

She's never really understood Javier and Kevin's friendship. Kevin, in comparison to Javier, has always seemed reserved and quiet. They're opposites in almost every sense of the word. There were many times when Jenny had thought that perhaps Kevin would be better off without Javier—maybe without Javier and his overbearing personality, Kevin would feel more appreciated...more worthwhile. But now, Jenny can see that Kevin isn't any better off without Javier. If anything, he's a hell of lot worse.

"Richard called," Jenny says, running her thumb over the back of her husband's hand. "He wanted to know if you'd like to go for a drink with him sometime."

"I don't feel like going out."

"All right." There's no use in pushing, so Jenny changes the subject, asking, "What would you like for dinner?"

By the time dinner is on the table, Kevin has plastered a smile on his face and is back to normal—chatting about his day, listening to Jenny as she tells him about hers, and joking about the latest antics of the cat that lives across the hall. If Jenny didn't know any better, she'd say that he's happy and that for now, he's forgotten that his best friend isn't acknowledging his existence. But Jenny does know better and so, she knows that he's only doing what he's doing to ensure that she doesn't worry about him.

And she can't stand it. She can't stand this game they're playing—pretending that everything's okay when it's not.

"Have you called him?" Jenny finally asks, interrupting Kevin midsentence. She bites her lip as he frowns at her, and then continues, "It's been two weeks, Kev. He's your best friend. Maybe you should call him or drop by his apartment."

Kevin groans, dropping his fork with a clang. "He doesn't _want_ to hear from me, Jenny."

"I just—"

"I _know_," Kevin interrupts and then he winces. "Sorry. Look, I appreciate you trying, but he just doesn't want to hear from me right now. Hell, if I were him, I wouldn't want to hear from me either."

"You saved his life!"

"I betrayed him."

Jenny shakes her head, completely unable to understand where Kevin's coming from. As far as she can tell, Kevin did the right thing. He was worried for his friends' safety, so he told the boss and in doing so, he saved their lives. If he hadn't acted as he did, there's no doubt that Javier and Kate would be dead. The fact that Javier is now ignoring him disgusts Jenny and she dearly wants to smack him across the face for being such a colossal asshole.

"He'll come around." Jenny smiles across the table, despite knowing that Kevin won't believe a word she says. "His suspension will be lifted and everything will go back to the way it was before."

Her smile drops as Kevin puts his elbows on the table and places his head in his hands.

She shouldn't have pushed; she knows she shouldn't have, but she did and now Kevin looks more pained than ever. It's not surprising when he stands silently and leaves the room. If she wasn't feeling so stupid, she'd feel irritated and insulted that Kevin hadn't bothered to apologise for leaving so abruptly. But more than anything, she feels annoyed. Not at Kevin, because she understands how he frustrated he must feel, but at Javier, because she can't justify his actions no matter how hard she tries.

Appetite gone, she picks up both her plate and Kevin's and puts them away. She pauses, leaning against the sink, eyes landing on her cellphone, temporarily forgotten on the kitchen bench. She hesitates before picking it up, knowing that Kevin will disapprove of what she's thinking of doing. But then she thinks of how absolutely crippled he's looked recently and how she's never seen him seem so alone and act so pathetic. So she does what she knows she shouldn't and fiddles with her phone, easily finding the number she searching for.

Just because Kevin isn't going to talk some sense into Javier doesn't mean she isn't going to give it shot.


End file.
